Essentialism

 23rd July 2023 at 9:57pm

In the western half of the continent, most people are followers of one of some form of ''Essentialism'' - which is more of a family of religions than a single religion. Essentialist religions are either polytheist or henotheist, believing in a pantheon of gods, the major gods of which rule over the four elements.

The Sun King

The Shining One, Lightbringer, Lord of Morning, Fist of Light, these are all names for the Sun King, god of the sun and the element of fire, and associated with light, healing, and goodness. Combined, his are by far the most influential churches on the continent.

Unique in the Elementalist pantheon in that he is almost universally referred to as The Sun King, this god rules over the element of fire, and is often seen as having other domains like light, healing, and goodness - but also of wrath and war, for the Sunlord is known for his temper.

The lesser gods in his domain are often referred to as saints by the organized churches that follow him, which blurs the line between actual lesser gods and humans the church has beatified.

Subordinates and Saints of the Sun King

  • Saint Isaure, lady of light, beatified in 100IA
  • The Saint of Flames
  • Saint Jayden, former Bishop of Illyria

The Sea Queen

The Sea Queen is known by many names, with many faces. Also referred to as Mari by the Einir or Sha'mar by the Marshandi, she is the tempestuous stormy sea, the steady but churning river, or the life-bringing rain. She rules over the element of water, and is goddess of chaos and darkness, but also of love and emotion.

The Lady of the Moon

As seen by many followers of Essentialism, The Sea Queen is served by her lover, The Lady of the Moon. But the Einir see the relationship in the opposite direction.

The Four Winds

The Four Winds, Stormhammer, and The Soaring One are all names for the god of the infinite sky and the element air. A dynamic god that is seen as having many facets that come and go, they are masculine by day, and feminine at night. He is lord of the sky, winds and clouds. Hers is the province of the starry night, the evening breeze, the driving rain.

Seen as aloof and capricious, this god rules over the element of air, as well as neutrality. They are often also thought of as the god of higher thought, philosophy, curiosity, learning, and travel. Unlike the other three major gods of the pantheon of Essentialism, The Four Winds does not rule over any lesser gods.

The Underlord

Ruler of the element of earth and of cold, unfeeling order, no other god is at the same time as feared and respected as the Underlord. He rules over the domains of darkness and death, but is also the keeper of the natural cycles of nature. His is the way of destruction - not for evil, but to make way for the endless cycle of death and the birth that the Sun King brings.

Many lesser gods that pay fealty to the Underlord, however, are seen as evil. Whether this is true can only be known by the Underlord himself - but on mortal time scales their actions and intents are often indistinguishable from evil.

Branches of Essentialism

  • In the Empire of Narin, and many of the former vassal states of the empire, the Narin Orthodox Church dictates a henotheist view of Essentialism, following the Sun King as the primary deity, and putting the others barely above the level of the Sun King's saints.
  • The Church of Illyria broke from the Narin Orthodoxy about 10 years ago over the beatification of the saint of flames, which the orthodox church refused to recognize for political reasons.
  • The Marshandi people practice another henotheist form of Essentialism that places the Sea Queen above the others.
  • The people of Rygalta practice an almost monotheistic version of Essentialism, so important is the Sun King to their religion.

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 23rd July 2023 at 9:57pm

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justinian 6th February 2023 at 10:53pm

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justinian 17th August 2022 at 11:19am

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 23rd July 2023 at 9:57pm

Kmekh

 23rd July 2023 at 9:57pm

Kmekh /ˈkmeχ/

Stout, dense, and strong, the Kmekh peoples of Gradia generally stand between four and five feet in height, with a stockier build than humans or halflings. Kmekh hair colors are mostly similar to those of humans, though their hair tends to turn grey or white much earlier in their lifespans than other humanoids.

Kmekh mostly dwell in their vast underground mountain cities in the Rookspine Mountains known as the Nauglimir. Not nearly as insular and single-minded as they are stereotyped to be, the Kmekh are just as likely to wander and seek knowledge as any other race - they're just also better at doing it underground than most other races. The Kmekh are also said to be innate craftsmen, but the reality is that their culture values hard work and craftsmanship, and such values tend to be instilled into their children from an early age.

Most, but not all, Kmekh speak Kankhri.

Locations

 21st July 2023 at 4:32pm

“The land of Gradia is massive, and no one map can hold its vastness. But there are many stories of lands beyond the civilized world… Barbarian hordes, firey mountains, eternal forests, and oceans of sand. Sit a while, and listen. I shall spin you many tales of the greatest lands under the sky…”

-Rogan Clearwater


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     17th August 2022 at 11:24am

    races

     17th August 2022 at 2:21pm

    religion

     24th August 2022 at 6:36pm

    Religions

     23rd July 2023 at 9:57pm

    Essentialism

    In the western half of the continent, most people are followers of one of some form of ''Essentialism'' - which is more of a family of religions than a single religion. Essentialist religions are either polytheist or henotheist, believing in a pantheon of gods, the major gods of which rule over the four elements.

    The Sun King

    The Shining One, Lightbringer, Lord of Morning, Fist of Light, these are all names for the Sun King, god of the sun and the element of fire, and associated with light, healing, and goodness. Combined, his are by far the most influential churches on the continent.

    Unique in the Elementalist pantheon in that he is almost universally referred to as The Sun King, this god rules over the element of fire, and is often seen as having other domains like light, healing, and goodness - but also of wrath and war, for the Sunlord is known for his temper.

    The lesser gods in his domain are often referred to as saints by the organized churches that follow him, which blurs the line between actual lesser gods and humans the church has beatified.

    Subordinates and Saints of the Sun King

    • Saint Isaure, lady of light, beatified in 100IA
    • The Saint of Flames
    • Saint Jayden, former Bishop of Illyria

    The Sea Queen

    The Sea Queen is known by many names, with many faces. Also referred to as Mari by the Einir or Sha'mar by the Marshandi, she is the tempestuous stormy sea, the steady but churning river, or the life-bringing rain. She rules over the element of water, and is goddess of chaos and darkness, but also of love and emotion.

    The Lady of the Moon

    As seen by many followers of Essentialism, The Sea Queen is served by her lover, The Lady of the Moon. But the Einir see the relationship in the opposite direction.

    The Four Winds

    The Four Winds, Stormhammer, and The Soaring One are all names for the god of the infinite sky and the element air. A dynamic god that is seen as having many facets that come and go, they are masculine by day, and feminine at night. He is lord of the sky, winds and clouds. Hers is the province of the starry night, the evening breeze, the driving rain.

    Seen as aloof and capricious, this god rules over the element of air, as well as neutrality. They are often also thought of as the god of higher thought, philosophy, curiosity, learning, and travel. Unlike the other three major gods of the pantheon of Essentialism, The Four Winds does not rule over any lesser gods.

    The Underlord

    Ruler of the element of earth and of cold, unfeeling order, no other god is at the same time as feared and respected as the Underlord. He rules over the domains of darkness and death, but is also the keeper of the natural cycles of nature. His is the way of destruction - not for evil, but to make way for the endless cycle of death and the birth that the Sun King brings.

    Many lesser gods that pay fealty to the Underlord, however, are seen as evil. Whether this is true can only be known by the Underlord himself - but on mortal time scales their actions and intents are often indistinguishable from evil.

    Branches of Essentialism

    • In the Empire of Narin, and many of the former vassal states of the empire, the Narin Orthodox Church dictates a henotheist view of Essentialism, following the Sun King as the primary deity, and putting the others barely above the level of the Sun King's saints.
    • The Church of Illyria broke from the Narin Orthodoxy about 10 years ago over the beatification of the saint of flames, which the orthodox church refused to recognize for political reasons.
    • The Marshandi people practice another henotheist form of Essentialism that places the Sea Queen above the others.
    • The people of Rygalta practice an almost monotheistic version of Essentialism, so important is the Sun King to their religion.

    Other religions

    The Einir in Eindonallan worship The Lady of the Moon as Ysenenobeth, The Moon Queen, their highest deity.

    The Kmekh in the Nauglimir worship Zmix̂oda, said to be creator of dwarven-kind. He may be an aspect of the Underlord or a related god.

    The Humans of the Empire of Xar worhsip their immortal living god-queen, Xar. Whether she is actually a god, or even immortal, is debated by some scholars -- but certainly never when around any of her followers.

    The Alfir in Alfheim have their own pantheon, which is likely still influenced by Elementalism, but has never been explored much. I welcome your input!

    Welcome to Gradia!

     21st July 2023 at 4:32pm

    Gradia is a homebrew setting for fantasy role-playing games that started with the release of Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition in 2000, as a simple map of two nations, Narin and Corin. Gradia has grown organically and collaboratively with the help of GMs and players alike ever since.

    Gradia is a very human-focused world. And, with some notable exceptions, it's a fairly low-fantasy world as well. Orcs, Elves, magic and monsters exist - but most people have never seen anything magical, let alone ever having met a wizard. Gods do grant their most devout followers powers akin to minor miracles, but the common believers never have such experiences.

    That's not to say that Gradia is a mundane world, though! Epic-worthy adventures await those willing to look beyond the surface. Diverse cultures co-exist while nations rise and fall and vie for power around them. How will you shape the course of this land's history?

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